1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tie restrains, and more specifically to tie restrains which are not visible when the wearer is viewed from the front.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
Restraints for neck-ties or cravats worn by men, and occasionally by women, are well known. Tie bars, tie clips, studs which pierce the tie, and the like have been used for many years.
The tie bar or tie clip usually contains an ornamental decoration on the front, so that an observer will view the decoration which appears as fastened to the tie. The obverse side of the tie bar is usually fastened to the front of the shirt, so that the tie is thus restrained to conform to the desired position, that is, in a vertical line centered over the front shirt buttons, and held close to the wearer's body.
The tie stud operates in a similar fashion. The stud generally comprises a stud head, stud pin, and pin clasp. The stud pin generally pierces the tie, and the tie is held fast between the stud head and the pin clasp. The stud is usually connected to the shirt beneath by a chain or clip which is itself attached to the shirt front, shirt button, or to the shirt button hole directly beneath the stud.
Both the bar and the stud work in similar ways. The stud has the disadvantage of piercing the tie, but it is less obtrusive than the bar, since the stud head may be as small as desired, so long as the head is larger in diameter than the pin. However, both the bar and stud tend to distort or flatten the tie, and constrain the tie to the shirt, resulting in a somewhat unnatural appearance.
The current invention has several advantages over the prior art. First of all, the current invention avoids the unnatural appearance of the tie tack or pin, resulting in a look similar to the absence of a tie restraint. Nevertheless, the present invention maintains the tie in a neat, centered position, while preventing the tie from flapping or becoming entangled in the surrounding clothing. Furthermore, when using the present invention the tie restraint will always be invisible to the observer facing the wearer of the tie.
Thus, it is useless to make the current tie restraint out of expensive materials, and, in fact, the cost of the present invention will be measured in cents, rather than dollars. The current tie restraint is made of an inexpensive material, typically either cloth, plastic, or paper. In one of the preferred embodiments, the material is sufficiently thin and resilient so that the tie will lie very close to the shirt, yet the restraint will allow the tie to maintain its shape and dimensions while being worn.
In other embodiments the invention takes the form of a modified label, permanently attached to the tie, and containing a button hole into which one of the buttons of the wearer's shirt front may be inserted.
Because of the low cost of this invention, it may be provided free by shirt manufacturers, tie manufacturers, or store owners. The current tie restraint may be used to contain advertising for the supplier, or anyone else, for that matter.